Kashiwagi and Otsuka walked through the brightly lit mine, occasionally glancing at their Golbat.
Truth be told, they had started out trusting the creature implicitly. However, after the Golbat triggered an alert at every slight vibration, they realized its ultrasonic waves couldn't distinguish between inanimate objects and living beings.
If it moved, it was a "suspected target."
After a few false alarms, their guard naturally dropped a notch.
Otsuka's nerves were fraying from the constant tension. He desperately wanted to say something to Kashiwagi to lighten the mood, but the latter's grim expression repeatedly shut him up.
Fine, you're not supposed to chatter during a major mission.
But he was honestly a little freaked out.
Just as he was about to finally cave and blurt something out, Frobo's urgent voice crackled through the earpiece. "Kashiwagi Squad, do you copy?"
"Copy!"
"I am rerouting you to the nearest conflict zone for reinforcement. Another squad is locked in a fierce battle and has lost contact due to electromagnetic interference. Status unknown. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
"Good. Continue along the main path..."
Frobo began guiding the two with cold efficiency.
Kashiwagi traded a sharp look with Otsuka. With their Pokémon in tow, they sprinted forward, desperate to reach the scene before the reinforcement window closed.
Shortly after, the faint tremors and sounds of explosions signaled they were nearly there.
In the darkness.
A panicked crowd of people made a deafening racket.
Two Team Snagem members leaned against the rock wall, supporting each other. In front of them, two Pokémon growled continuously, holding the line.
One of the men had blood seeping from the corner of his mouth—he was clearly injured.
"Stop! Everyone stop! Stay quiet! If you don't stop, we will open fire!"
the one in better condition shouted at the top of his lungs, but he couldn't stop the mob of miners. Whether out of genuine fear of the dark or intentional manipulation, the miners kept moving, blurring the line of sight and confusing the two guards.
Instead, his shouting only drew more frantic screams from the crowd.
The enemies were hidden among the miners. They had smashed the lamps to launch a sneak attack earlier and were now using the chaos to mask their presence for a final killing blow.
Though their communications were jammed by a move, they trusted that the sound of battle had reached the surface.
They had to stall for as long as possible and wait for backup.
However, the enemy had no intention of giving them that chance.
From a dark corner, a sinister figure suddenly pounced from an angle the two men couldn't see. Their Pokémon, focused entirely on the crowd in front of them, failed to react in time.
But just as the figure's attack was about to land, the area was suddenly flooded with light!
BOOM!
A blinding silver snake of electricity shot out from the shadows, striking the assassin squarely. The figure's hair stood on end as they were racked with electricity before collapsing in a heap, twitching on the ground.
Seeing this, the panicked miners dropped to their knees in unison like wheat caught in a gale, covering their ears and trembling in terror.
Among them, however, a few miners remained standing like statues, seemingly failing to react to the sudden turn of events.
Before they could even try to drop down, their bodies were encased in a mysterious blue light. They began to float slowly into the air, followed immediately by a gentle, rhythmic song.
Their expressions twisted in horror as they tried to break free, but their physical strength was no match for raw Psychic power.
Moments later.
Almost everyone had fallen into a deep slumber—including the two Snagem members.
The dark tunnel suddenly went silent.
It stayed that way until someone ignited a flare, illuminating the surroundings.
"Solved?"
"Looks like it. Is the comms back up? Contact the surface immediately."
"I'll try... It's through!"
Amidst Otsuka's joyful shouting, Kashiwagi looked at the sea of sleeping miners, then at the two Team Snarl members slumped against the wall. He narrowed his eyes. "Conflict resolved. Our casualties are unknown."
"Static... static... Other squads are closing in. Medical team is entering. Administer first aid if necessary."
The voice in the earpiece gradually became clear.
"Understood."
Kashiwagi replied, then signaled Otsuka to tie up the suspicious individuals and confiscate their Poké Balls.
Otsuka went about the task with a grin.
Kashiwagi approached his two teammates with Aggron and Chansey, conducting a brief assessment of their condition.
There were no obvious external wounds. After Chansey's inspection, no fatal injuries were found; they should have been more than capable of fighting.
So why were they being suppressed?
Too many enemies?
He turned to look at the miners nearby and waved Otsuka over. "Come here for a second."
"What's up?" Otsuka approached curiously.
Kashiwagi asked, "You're pretty familiar with the people in the Sand Unit, right?"
"Reasonably. I grew up in the Unit, after all."
"Any memory of these two?"
"Hmm... This one looks a bit familiar, but it's blurry. Probably because he's not around much. The other one... hard to say, looks like a stranger. Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
Kashiwagi shook his head and sent Otsuka back to work. He took a deep breath.
If he wasn't mistaken, the reason these two were losing wasn't because they were outnumbered, but because they couldn't bring themselves to strike the chaotic miners.
In reality, a single "execution to warn the rest" would have made the miners recoil in fear, even if they were being coerced by the enemy to create chaos.
But these two hadn't done that. They hadn't attacked a single miner.
Was there any need to be that merciful toward the rival faction's "mining machines"?
To the point of endangering their own lives?
To think that among the official members of Team Snagem, there were actually people who harbored a heart of mercy for a group of miners they didn't even know...
Strange.
Kashiwagi felt more and more that Ryuka and Frobo were far from simple.
"Good work just now. Very efficient."
He turned and praised Aggron and Chansey.
Real combat was always the best way to promote growth. That precise, lightning-fast bolt of electricity had come from Aggron, who, despite failing to learn Magnet Rise, had accidentally mastered Shock Wave.
Meanwhile, Chansey's control over Telekinesis had become significantly more refined, and her Sing was faster than ever.
"Gronn..."
"Lucky~"
The two Pokémon responded softly as a light approached from the distance—the reinforcements had arrived.
When they saw the floor covered in unconscious bodies, they couldn't help but look at Kashiwagi with surprise.
But that was as far as it went.
The injured were carried away, the enemies were hauled off, and the miners were woken up one by one for a headcount.
Kashiwagi and Otsuka followed the medical team back to the surface. In the distance, the scouring of the site was kicking up massive clouds of dust, leaving the entire mine shrouded in a hazy gray mist.
"Well done. I originally sent you down just to get some experience, but I didn't expect you to pull off such a major feat."
Frobo walked toward them, a smile on his face.
"I wouldn't call it a major feat. Since when is saving teammates considered a 'feat'?"
Kashiwagi shook his head, casting a deeply inscrutable look at the man. "Your squad members... they truly left me in awe."
"Oh? Are they that impressive?"
Frobo thought Kashiwagi was joking.
But Kashiwagi spoke with absolute seriousness. "Yes. Even more impressive than I imagined..."